


Remember Me

by dyve_the_author



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Abusive Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider, Alternate Universe - No Sburb/Sgrub Sessions, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Dave's Bro | Beta Dirk Strider, Dirk Strider and Dave's Bro Aren't the Same Person, F/F, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Memory Loss, POV Dave Strider, POV Dirk Strider, POV Second Person, Past Abuse, Past Child Abuse, Polyamory, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:14:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25674136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyve_the_author/pseuds/dyve_the_author
Summary: Your brother is ill (mentally or physically you don’t know). All you know is the panic attacks he has frequently cause him to blank and lose his memory. You’re scared, because one day you might not be able to bring it back.
Relationships: Calliope/Jane Crocker/Roxy Lalonde, Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Jake English/Dirk Strider, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam
Kudos: 21





	1. The Harsh Reality

**Author's Note:**

> I had this fanfiction idea when I saw a TikTok (yes I use TikTok) by @anime.band.kid. I thought it would be cool to turn it into a fanfic so here it is.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk and the others help Dave through another memory loss panic attack.

Your brother is ill (mentally or physically you don’t know). All you know is the panic attacks he has frequently cause him to blank and lose his memory. You’re scared, because one day you might not be able to bring it back.

The first time he started having them is all a blur to you now. Between the many attacks he had in the future and the one that started it all, it was hard to place the order of events. You’re in the living room now. Your friends decided to come over and hang out for the weekend. You could tell that Dave was overwhelmed by this (especially since it was last minute) no matter how much he tried to play it off. He said that he needed to take a break from the fame for a bit and retreated to his room. Something had nagged at you, saying it was a bad idea to let Dave go but you decide against going after him. You don’t want to startle him.

He’s been in there for a while. You’re starting to get worried. Is he having an attack right now? You quickly stand up and rush to his room. You twist the doorknob, it’s locked. The door has pretty much been broken from all the times you’ve busted it down, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to get in. You bust open the door and see Dave curled on the floor shaking violently. You pick him up and rush him to the living room. “Dirky what’s wrong?” Roxy asked. “Dave’s having a panic attack.” You quickly reply. You sit Dave down on the couch and tell him to breathe. He’s still shaking. Karkat looks at him with wide eyes. “Dave, it’s going to be okay.” he’s trying to reach out to him. Dave’s brain is fogging. You can tell by how stiff he is. He doesn’t remember anyone. “Hey lil man, tell us who you remember. Take it slow okay?” You tell him. Dave nods. He’s reached the stage where he’s too shaken up to speak, so he mimes the symbols.

You and the others helped Dave work out symbols for each of you. This would make it easier for Dave when he had another panic attack and couldn’t remember any names. Dave had agreed to use the symbols, despite thinking how ridiculous it was. Ridiculous, yes, but still very practical for you.

Dave puts his hands together and faced upwards, showing his palms. A book. Rose smiles and nods, “That’s me.” He puts his hands adjacent to each other and curls his fingers, almost like he’s holding a ball. The windy thing. “Hey it’s me!” John smiles. Dave has one of his palms faced upward, with the other hand he uses it to point to his fingers. Jade’s bands. “Good job Dave!” she encourages. He puts his pointer fingers up against the sides of his shades. Pointed glasses. You nod, “Good job lil man.” You look over at Karkat. He’s waiting to be remembered. Dave had always done Karkat’s symbol first when trying to recall his memory. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t put off by this either.

He puts his palm up and curls his fingers. A glass. Roxy claps gently for him, “Good job Davey.” Dave forms a peace sign on both hands and places them on his head. Two sets of horns. “Awesome.” Sollux smiles. He does finger guns and Jake gently pats his back. “Keep it up Strider.” Dave uses his hands to mimic the cancer sign. Karkat sighs with relief, “About time Dave.” There’s one more person he hasn’t mentioned. You’re too scared to ask. You’re always too scared to ask. You don’t want to talk about him, he’s the cause of all this. He’s why Dave has frequent panic attacks. But you have to ask. It’s the one topic that confirms his memory is back. You try to hide the shakiness in your voice when you ask him, “What about Bro?” Dave collapses onto the couch, tears rolling down his face. He’s still shaking, even more so than before. It’s never been this bad. You’re taken aback while Rose takes your place. She gently rubs his back and shushes him. She sings a song to help him calm down.

” _Remember me, though I have to say goodbye. Remember me, don’t let it make you cry. For even if I’m far away I hold you in my heart. I sing a secret song to you each night we are apart. Remember me, though I have to travel far. Remember me, each time you hear a sad guitar. Know that I’m with you the only way that I can be until you’re in my arms again. Remember me.”_

When she’s done, Dave takes a deep breath. He slowly sits up and clutches his head. “You’re okay Dave. It’s going to be okay. Just breathe. You’re alright.” Rose assures him. Dave listens to Rose’s instructions and takes shallow breaths. Rose was always so much better at this than you. “Can you speak? Don’t try if you can’t.” she gently pats his back. “I think I’m okay.” he sighs. She hugs him, “Thank god. Get some rest okay? You just had a panic attack and you need to rest your head.” Dave nods and you help him stand up. You carry him to his room and place him on his bed.

”I’m sorry.” Dave says suddenly. You look at him confused, “For what? Your sudden panic attack wasn’t your fault.” “I know but I wish I had it when everyone wasn’t here to see me like this.” He sighs. He curls up under his blanket. You pat his head, “It’s okay. At least they were able to help you. Thank God Rose was here.” Dave shrugs, “I guess so.” “Get some sleep dude. You can talk to your boyfriend later.” You smirk. Dave smiled, “Alright.”

You halfway close the door and make your way back to the living room. You’re talking to Jane about this.


	2. Stay Cautious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk goes to Jane for assistance on Dave’s condition. Her advice causes Dirk to stay alert for the next panic attack.

After the whole fiasco, you decide to finally tell Jane about this. She hasn’t been up to date with Dave’s recent behavior, so you decided that now might be a good time to tell her about it before it gets any worse. You walk into the doctor’s office and sit in the waiting room. You can feel your phone vibrating, so you walk outside the room and answer the call. It’s Roxy. “Hey Dirky!” “Hey Rox.” “You’re scheduled with Janey right?” “Yeah, why?” “Oh alright. I just wanted to know. Hey, before you leave, ask her what time she’ll be home. Cali and I are thinking about going on another date tonight.” “Sure will.” “Thanks! You’re the best D-Stri.” You say your goodbyes and hang up. You walk back into the room, but before you can sit down Jane rushes in trying to look for you. She stops dead in her tracks when you make eye contact. She sighs with relief and motions for you to follow her. You put your phone in your pocket and walk behind her.

You walk into Jane’s room and sit across from her. “Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.” you sigh. “It’s alright Dirk. I’m glad you called.” she replies. Jane seems on edge while talking to you. “So how’s he been doing lately?” she asks. You tell her the whole story. You don’t give vivid details about what happened today, but you give her enough information as to where she could gather a logical conclusion. She nods while listening to the story. “Alright.” she says “here’s what I think is going on.”

Jane talks about how some of Dave’s actions correlate to some of the patients she’s seen. “That’s what I’ve gathered. At least from what you’ve told me.” she says, closing off her explanation. You pause for a bit before speaking. “You think he has short term memory loss?” You know that she’s probably right, she is a doctor after all, but you hope that’s not the case. Sure, the thought has crossed your mind a couple of times, but you never would’ve considered that a possible outcome. “It might be. Dave’s ptsd could be affecting his memory when he has a panic attack. The stress of his past abuse and whatever else is going on in his head is enough to jog his memory and cause it to fade momentarily.” she continues to explain. You can’t believe it. 

“Oh my god.” You say after a moment of silence. “I know it’s a lot to take in Dirk, but you might have to bring him in for testing later this month. I’m not even sure myself, even if he does show symptoms. I can’t make that call until we have proof, but I’d still be careful if I were you.” Jane replies while looking down at some papers. You nod. There’s still a chance it’s not the answer, deep down you hope it’s not. Jane schedules Dave for an appointment sometime later that month. “And another thing, you might want to be extremely careful if he has another panic attack. If anything changes or gets to the extreme, the next one might make him lose his memory for the rest of his life.” “I’ll keep an eye out for anymore changes. Thanks Jane.” you respond before standing up. “Oh, and Roxy wants to know if you’re on for another date with her and Calliope tonight.” Jane smiles at this and nods, “Tell her I’ll be home before seven.” “Alright. Thanks again Janey.” “No problem.” You wave goodbye and leave the doctor’s office.

When you get home, you lie down on the couch. You’re starting to get a headache with all the new information Jane dropped on you earlier. You’re really hoping that Dave’s okay. Speaking of which, Dave walks out of the kitchen with a bottle of apple juice in his hand. “Oh hey, you’re back.” he acknowledges. He sits down on the other couch and faces you. “What’d Jane say?” he asks. You don’t want to tell him anything too specific. You know if you tell him the truth he’ll be terrified for his life. So you make up a white lie. “Not much. She’s not too sure what’s wrong so she’s gonna run some tests later this month.” you push your shades up while speaking. You look over at Dave and he simply nods his head. He knows something’s up but he clearly doesn’t want to ask you about it, so you don’t bother telling him. 

Jake walks up to you and sits down on the couch. “How was the appointment chap?” he asks. You wait until Dave leaves the room to answer him, “Heavy, is all I have to say.” “Oh. Why’s that?” “Jane said he might have short term memory loss. She’s not sure though so we’re running tests later this month.” “Christ! Does Dave know about this?” “About the short term memory loss or the tests?” Jake sighs, “Gadzooks.” “I know. I feel horrible.” “You’re going to have to tell him eventually Dirk. He has to know.” “I know. Just maybe not right now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to make Jane a doctor because she’s a life player. That’s seriously the only reason. Also, I don’t think that I’ll be adding Bro in this story and he’ll only be mentioned. That may change depending on how I want the story to go, but for now he won’t be in it in person.


	3. Be Dave===>

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave and Karkat talk about Dave’s past trauma and end up just being really cute.
> 
> (there’s a lot of hurt/comfort in this chapter)

You walk upstairs and retreat back to your room. Karkat’s sitting on your bed and messing with his hands. He looks up when he hears you closing the door. “What’d he say?” he asks. “Nothing much. Just that Jane wanted to run some tests later this month.” you shrug. Karkat eyes you suspiciously, “That’s all he said?” You nod. “Either you’re hiding something from me or he’s hiding something from you. Knowing Dirk, it’s probably the latter.” he sighs. You sit down next to him on the bed. “It’s gonna be okay. Nothing’s wrong, I promise. They’ll run some tests and I’ll be fine.” you reassure him. He leans his head on your shoulder, “I don’t like the sound of this Dave.” “Neither do I karkles. I mean, who knew you’d date someone prone to panic attacks?” “Dave, don’t say that. You didn’t even know until after we started dating. It’s not your fault.” “I know it’s not, but it’s not like I completely agree with the idea that I’m blameless. Bro was hard on me for a reason, and I have no say in how I was raised. Hell, I don’t even know the first thing about childcare, so I’m more in the wrong than he is. I was probably being a stubborn little shit most of the time he raised me.” 

Karkat gently holds your hand, “Dave it wasn’t your fault. He didn’t know how to raise a kid in the first place. Why do you think Dirk had to take custody of you? It wasn’t because your shitty lusus was dying, no, it was because he was dangerous. He was hurting you, don’t you understand that? For fifteen years of your life you were constantly beaten to a pulp.” You take a deep breath and nod. “You’re safe and far away from him. Your life doesn’t concern him anymore. You can carry on without him.” You can feel tears well up in your eyes. Your one fear races through your mind. “What if he finds me? What if he knows where I am and decides to take my life?” “If he does I’ll take care of it. He won’t be able to hurt you. I won’t let him go anywhere near you.” This somehow makes you worry even more.

”But what if you get hurt first? Let’s say hypothetically if he did know my whereabouts and decided to come kill me, what if you go first? I don’t want that Karkat. Bro’s a wild card and he doesn’t fuck around! He’ll kill you if he has the chance.” You ramble on and on. You can’t help it You need to let him know how dangerous Bro is. Which, ironically enough, is just what Karkat was doing earlier. Karkat groans, “Dave stop talking for two seconds please. Gog, do you even hear yourself? The likelihood of your lusus coming back to kick the shit out of you is highly unlikely. Hell it might not even be a possibility! You need to just focus on yourself, not the what ifs. I get it, your past trauma is haunting you and sometimes it’s all you can think about. But trust me it’s going to get better. I’ll always be right beside you.”

He always knows how to make situations lighter and you love him for that. You rest your head on his, “I love you so much, you know that? I don’t think I’d be here if it wasn’t for you. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He kisses your cheek while you ramble, “I’m not going anywhere.” With those words you can’t help but break down. You feel immense guilt for dragging him into this situation. Not only did you have a panic attack today, but you also had to have a break down in front of him too. Good going Dave. Karkat doesn’t even jump at this anymore. It’s happened so often that he’s used to it. You manage feel even worse. You wrap your arms around him and just cry. You can’t help it. The pain is too much. “I’m sorry.” you say after a while. Karkat kisses your forehead, “It’s okay. I’m right here.” “I wish I was like Dirk.” you admit. Karkat pauses. 

“Why?” he asks. “He’s a lot stronger than me. Mentally and physically. He’s able to keep all his emotions to himself and he can easily handle any situation. Maybe that’s why I used to up to Bro.” you sigh. Karkat looks at you strangely, “Dave that’s not right. First of all, just because Dirk can keep all of his emotions to himself doesn’t mean he’s strong. It means he’s struggling but he’s too scared to ask for help. Second, he can’t handle every situation as easily as he makes it seem. When you had your attack today he didn’t even know what to do and he’s been doing this for two years! He’s gotten the hang of it, but does he truly know what he’s doing? Not in the slightest! No one really knows what they’re doing. We’re all just winging it as we go along. So just because you’re able to show emotion and you’re not sure how to handle something, you’re not weak.” You take his words into consideration. You can kind of understand what he‘s saying, but it doesn’t mean that you’re pleased with the idea. He notices this and gives you a smile, “I know you’re upset right now but I brought over some shitty romcoms if you want to watch some.” His smile is contagious, so seeing him smile makes you smile. “The shittiest ones?” He nods, “The shittiest ones.”

Of course the first movie he chooses is 10 Things I Hate About You. Despite your constant opinion about the movie being extremely shitty, it secretly holds a place in your heart. It was one of the first movies you and Karkat watched before you started dating, back when you were just friends. Well, sort of friends, you didn’t really like each other at first but between watching movies and making music you two started to bond. Watching 10 Things I Hate About You for the first time really opened you up to the idea that “hey the way Karkat smiles is kind of cute” or “his laughter is really contagious sometimes” and “he’s so short it’s kind of adorable”. Of course, you’ll deny this if anyone asks but you know the truth. You’re the cheesiest guy in the world, you’re the biggest sucker for romance, and you love him with your whole being.

You and Karkat are halfway through the movie when you start to think about what he said about Dirk. You remember small bits and pieces of Dirk’s out of character moments. You remember that period of time when he was having complications with Jake, he didn’t ask you for anything. But when you needed help asking out Karkat, you went to him. You wonder why he doesn’t do the same. Maybe what Karkat said is right. You look over at him, he’s fully engaged in the movie. You poke at him, “I’ll be right back babe.” “Alright. Don’t fuck anything up.” he retorts. You chuckle before leaving your room. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to write some Davekat. I feel like we barely see them in this story so I wanted to write some cute stuff.


	4. Talk to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dave talks to Dirk and is able to finally get him to talk about his feelings.

You make your way downstairs and spot Dirk on the couch. “Hey.” you call out to him. He looks up from his phone and waves. You walk over to him and sit down on the other couch. He looks at you strangely and you give him the “we need to talk” look. He immediately sits up. “What’s up lil man?” he asks. “I wanted to ask you something.” You can sense that his anxiety is rising. You don’t say anything. “What is it?” “Why do you always hide your emotions and shit? I feel like you don’t trust me or something. Remember that time when you and Jake were getting all complicated in your relationship?” Dirk’s eyes widen, “You knew about that?” “Yes I knew! Everyone knew Dirk! The worst thing is that you never asked for our help, and look how that turned out? You two took a break for three months and it crushed your mental health! If you would’ve asked us for help than maybe it wouldn’t have ended up like this.” You sigh. Dirk deflates and slouches on the couch. Normally you’d stop here, you’re already way past your limits. But you’re not done. 

“Do you know how much I hated seeing you suffer like that? I wanted to reach out to you but I didn’t want to mess up anything. What if you didn’t want contact? Then I’d mess up everything we had.” Dirk’s eyes shift. He tenses up. “I don’t know why you feel the need to barricade your feelings, and I know I’m in the wrong to question it, but you could at least try to tell me if something is bothering you. I just wish you would talk to me. I know I can confide in you when I need help, and I want you to do the same.“ You take deep breaths. “I can’t do that Dave, it’s hard.” he replies after some silence. “I know but I at least want you to try.” “I never had anyone to talk to about it. You at least had a guardian. Mine was never there and I had to build machines to talk to me. I didn’t find out about you until after he died! You at least had conversation.” He’s opening up, but not in the way you imagined him too. But then again nothing really goes how you plan it anyways. 

You can feel something grab your hand. “Don’t you fucking compare your trauma to his. You both had it equally shitty. Dave’s guardian was an abusive asshole and your guardian was absent for your whole life. I get it, you didn’t have anyone to vent your feelings to, and you definitely have some built up frustration towards your guardian, but you shouldn’t push those frustrations onto Dave. Talk it out. He’s trying to help and I know it’s hard for you to express your feelings but for fucks sake could you please not turn it into an argument? Dave’s trying to help and he was scared shitless to ask you to open up.” Karkat rants. You’re as stiff as wood. You didn’t want to drag Karkat into any of this. “I’m going back upstairs. I swear to gog if anyone decides to throw punches, don’t, I’ll be the first one to.” He storms off and trudges back upstairs. Dirk eyes you and sighs, “Maybe he’s right.” He gets up and sits next to you. “Let’s just talk about this alright? I’m sorry about angering you and having Karkat try to set the record straight. Let’s try again.” You pat his back. “Sure.” he smiles. 

It takes a while, but you’re finally able to crack his shell. He tells you about his abandonment issues and his guilt over the many horrible decisions he’s made. He sheds light on how terrified he is when you have a panic attack and how guilty he feels when you don’t speak after a while. The main topic at hand is Jake. He shares his many regrets about the relationship and the things he wishes he could change. “I don’t know man. I just feel like I’m a little overbearing. If I am, then he’s not acknowledging it. Or he chooses not to notice it because he wants to believe I’m a better person than I really am.” he says. “He’s helpful, but a little oblivious at times. I don’t think I could ever reach out to him if I tried.” You offer help to the best of your ability with all these subjects. “I’d say just talk to him. Tell what him you think he’s doing wrong, and ask him what you think might be best for your relationship. Tell him you don’t want to argue. You also need to open up to him. Choosing to hide behind a facade while you’re around him makes him envision you different than how you are. You two don’t need another break, it seems like things are going smoothly right now.” you advise.

“I know, but it’s hard. I want him to be able to trust me and believe me when I say that I’ll be there for him.” “And putting on a facade isn’t going to help that issue. You need to take off your mask when you’re with him. He’s your boyfriend you should feel comfortable around him. If you feel the need to put on a mask, then your issues must run deeper than the fucking San Andreas fault.” Dirk laughs at this metaphor. He’s eased up a bit. “I guess I could try being me around him. But what if he doesn’t like me? Not the ‘cool katana wielding weeabo’ me but the ‘emotionally broken and extremely insecure texas guy’ me.” Now it’s your turn to laugh. “Okay, first of all, never say ‘weeabo’ in the same sentence as ‘texas guy’. And second, you shouldn’t be scared of being yourself. Your identity issues run deep as shit Dirk, but having him around to talk to will help with that. Ya feel me?” Dirk nods, “I’ll do what I can.”

By the end of the feelings jam he seems to have calmed down. “Is that all?” You ask. He pauses for a bit in deep thought before nodding his head. He seems on edge, but if he doesn’t want to talk about it he doesn’t have to. “Alright then. If you need anything else you can talk to me. I might not know much, but I’ll try my best.” You tell him as you get up from the couch. “Thanks Dave.” his voice catches you off guard. You turn back to look at him, “No problem dude. I’m always open for conversation.” He smiles at you as you make your way back to your room. You close the door and sit down on your bed. “Did anything happen?” Karkat asks. “If you’re asking if something bad happened, then no. But he opened up to me if that’s what you meant.” you shrug. “Thank god.” He exhales. You rest your head on his lap. “Today was certainly eventful.” he says, trying to make you feel better about the situation. You nod, too tired to respond. “Want to watch another movie?” he asks. You grin, “Sure.” He puts on She’s All That as you try not to fall asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some Strider bonding for thy soul. I just felt like Dirk needed more character and wanted to write some more hurt/comfort.


	5. Go Back to Being Dirk===>

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dirk calls Jake and tells him about how he feels, keeping Dave’s advice in mind.

Your feelings jam with Dave got a lot off your chest. His advice about Jake was something you took to heart, and for the first time you had actually listened to him. Though it was hard to pay attention to his constant rambling at the beginning, he was somehow able to get you to open up. Maybe he was right. Maybe all you need is someone to talk to. Dave made sure that you knew he’s always available, but he also advised for you to talk to Jake about it too. You pick up your phone and call Jake. He answers within a couple seconds.

“Hello Dirk.” he greets. You smile just hearing his voice. “Hey Jake.” you reply. “What’s wrong chap? Have you told Dave yet?” he asks. “Nah. I did talk to him today though.” “Really? What’d you two talk about?” “He was trying to get me to open up to him.” “Well did you?” “Yeah. I did.” “That’s great! I knew you had it in you!” You go silent, thinking of a way to approach this. 

“Hey, not be all girly and shit but, what do you really think of me?” you ask. Jake goes quiet. “What do you mean by that?” he asks. “Like, honestly. Without considering the fact that we’re together, what do you actually think of me?” you explain. “Hm, well I guess I would say you’re pretty seclusive towards other people. That’s not a bad thing though, you never know if you’ll meet a bad apple. I just wish you would talk.” he replies. Dammit. Is that really the only thing people can say when they think about you? That you’re just some stoic guy who hides his feelings and thoughts?

“Dirk?” Jake’s voice snaps your attention back. “Yeah? What’s wrong?” “Nothing. You were just a little too quiet that’s all. Is something wrong mate?” Don’t tell him anything, keep it inside, he doesn’t need to hear it. Still, Dave’s voice echos in your head. _Having him around will help you_. You shake off the voice in your head and tell Jake what’s up.

“Nothing much, just, is that all anyone can think about when they see me? That I’m seclusive and complete shit at expressing emotions?” you tell him. “Well, yeah.” Jake replies. Real blunt there Jake, but you guess someone has to be. “I don’t mean that in a rude way, but, maybe the reason why people think that is because it’s the truth. You’re not that great at telling us anything, but I understand why you don’t. Some people need more space than others after all. I just wish we were closer.” Great. You really fucked up this time. You really wish there was some way to make this right. Some way for you to tell him that you want to be closer too, but you’re just not that great at words. You know exactly what to tell him, and yet you say nothing. 

“But enough about me,” Jake says. “sorry for self projecting a bit there chum. Anyways, back to you. Do you have anything else to say?” This is your chance. You can tell him. Goddammit just do it. Now is the time. Do not over think this. You’re not going through this for the second time. Say something, _anything_. “Yeah actually. I do.” you say after clearing your throat. “Oh? What is it?” “I also wish we were closer too. I know I’m not the most socially graceful person in the world, but we could try to make it work. I’m sorry for being so emotionally distant the past years we’ve been together. Shit’s been rough y’know?” you say, stumbling over your words. You think you’ve explained everything. You’ve gotten all you wanted out of your system. 

“At least we agree on something.” Jake chuckles on the other line. You chuckle as well. You love how contagious his laughter is. “All jokes aside,” he continues “I’m glad you’re finally opening up. This relationship has obviously had its ups and downs, but all good relationships do. I know I can be a bit oblivious at times but I promise I’ll try my best to help you get though whatever you’re struggling with!” he says. You can hear his determined adventurer voice near the end which makes you laugh. “Oi, what’s wrong Strider? Don’t believe me?” he asks, jokingly. You laugh even more, “You’re such a dork English.” He laughs along with you. “I have good wit.” he replies after a the laughter fest.

“Catch you later Dirk, Jade needs help with taking care of Beq.” “Alright. See you later Jake.” “Love you.” he says suddenly. It’s nothing new. He always says “I love you” before leaving calls. But for some reason it feels different this time around. This time it feels real. “Love you too dork.” you say. He chuckles and hangs up. You smile to yourself afterwards. You think this week will be a good one. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Felt like we were missing out on some Dirkjake juice too. Also this chapter is as fluffy as I can make it. I don’t think there’ll be any more angst for a bit, but who knows my plans may change.


End file.
